Football’s European Super League ‘will be relaunched NEXT WEEK’, with Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid ‘to reveal new proposals including ditching permanent members’ after the plan’s collapse last year
- The controversial tournament is not dead yet as three clubs seek to relaunch it
- The European Super League was first announced in April 2021 but fell apart
- Six English clubs were involved but all backtracked and were fined by the league
- Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid are the only three clubs still involved
The controversial European Super League appears to not be completely dead as three of the continent’s biggest sides are set to relaunch the competition next week.
After years of speculation, plans for the ESL were first unveiled in April 2021 which sent shockwaves through the world of football.
The new league, which did not include promotion or relegation, was launched by 12 ‘founding members’ including Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham.
However, the reaction from fans in opposing the plans was so strong that the league fell apart within 48 hours of its launch.
All six English clubs quit the league, receiving a fine from the Premier League as punishment, and shortly after all but three teams had left.
The trio that remained were Spain’s two biggest clubs Real Madrid and Barcelona alongside Juventus.
Now, those clubs are reportedly set to announce the return of the league with new proposals that would no longer mean there were permanent members.
The Telegraph reports that Juventus president Andrea Agnelli is due to speak on Thursday where he will unveil the new plans.
Among the changes will be the introduction of a traditional domestic league qualification and the clubs behind it also say it will allow for the creation of new teams in cities such as Luxembourg and Dublin.
The controversial plans were initially announced in April 2021 but fell apart within 48 hours
Fans revolted after the plans were revealed which included no relegation for the 12 members
The ESL was established due to growing discontent at the way UEFA ran its European competitions. The Telegraph claims that the three rebels will challenge what it calls UEFA’s ‘monopolistic’ position on European football at a hearing in the European Court of Justice later this year.
They also take issue with UEFA’s perceived close ties to certain clubs and have highlighted PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi as a prime example.
PSG were not included in the initial launch but since the botched plan, Al-Khelaifi has seen his stock rise in the game. He is chairman of the European Club Association, which lobbies Uefa on behalf of the club and is also chairman of beIN Media which owns UEFA broadcast rights in the Middle East. Additionally, he co-owns the commercial entity UCCSA which is at the of UEFA competitions.
The rebels have now announced changes and are challenging UEFA’s ‘monopolistic’ position
They also take aim at PSG’s president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and his rising influence in the game
The Telegraph reports that in a document authored in September by the remaining ESL members, it argues: ‘Since within the EU a club cannot benefit from state aids from its own member state … why should it be allowed that the football market be disrupted, to the exclusive benefit of a few state-owned clubs, because of state aids coming from non-member states?’
A corporate entity, known as A22, was established for the ESL and has legal counsel as well as a Brussels lobby group.
It remains to be seen how other teams will react to the proposed changes but the Premier League teams at least will be unable to join after new regulations made it impossible for rebels to join an unsanctioned competition.
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